Auditions for CJ: Seeking Deaf & Hard of Hearing and Spanish-speaking Actors

Pork Filled Productions is holding auditions for a staged reading of
CJ An Aspanglish Play by Mercedes Floresislas

To be presented online (either live or pre-recorded) July 31.

Pork Filled Productions, in conjunction with Ophelia’s Jump of Claremont, CA presents a staged reading of CJ An Aspanglish Play by Mercedes Floresislas, a tri-lingual play in English, Spanish and ASL. Southern Californian actors are especially encouraged to audition as they will be considered for the full production of CJ, to be produced by Ophelia’s Jump in November 2021.

Carolina Juarez, CJ, is a fifteen-year-old forced to live with her estranged Aunt Yoli and Deaf grandmother G when her mom overdoses again. During a tantrum, she destroys her grandmother’s childhood toy and the family’s comadre, Ana, conjures up a recipe to intervene as her personal Nahual. Two Aztec deities appear to her to give her a chance to change.

Please review the character descriptions as age, gender, and ethnicity are specifically stated. Pork Filled Productions is dedicated to casting appropriately and are committed to representing our characters and stories truthfully. We seek actors who are Deaf and/or Hard of Hearing who are fluent in ASL; in addition, we seek actors with strong spoken Spanish skills (again, see breakdowns for exact requirements for each character)

To schedule an audition, please email oink@porkfilled.com.

Contact Name Phone

Roger Tang 206-579-5486

Email
oink@porkfilled.com

Audition Form
https://forms.gle/xhMoN7n3KGYLPoaZ9

AUDITION INFORMATION

Audition/Interview Dates:

These auditions will take place via ZOOM

Saturday, May 29 @ 5:00pm-8:00pm

Sunday, May 30 @ 10:00am- 2:00pm

Sunday, May 30 11:00am-1:00pm is set aside for Deaf actors

Video submission is available, deadline is May 30, 9:00 pm

Audition Requirements:

Seeking actors of all body sizes, genders, and physical abilities.

Deaf and Global Majority (BIPOC) actors are especially encouraged to audition.

Please note there are specific needs in the script and we are working to cast as authentically as possible. Fluency with Spanish and ASL are a large part of this play.

Please email Pork Filled Productions your headshot and resume (or most recent photo and performing experiences) and what role you are auditioning for. hen fill out the audition form at https://forms.gle/xhMoN7n3KGYLPoaZ9. Sides (scenes or monologues) from the play will be provided upon audition confirmation.

Actors will be paid a stipend of $100.

Cast Breakdown

CJ – 15, Chicana/Latina

Carolina Juarez, 2nd generation Latinx, unplugged from her family, her history and herself. She’s a monolingual ‘Pocha’ and an ‘Emo.’ Her feelings escape her body, like air from a balloon. As fluent as possible with ASL; speaks “bad” Spanish but her skills improve over time

G- 60s, Deaf with strong fluency in ASL, Chicana/Latina

CJ’s grandma. Has dementia, we see her as a child, teen, young woman and old. She might as well be the ghost of La Llorona, their unvoiceable pain is the same. She may have been a dancer, but she was disabled by audism and lingualism.

YOLI – 30’s, Chicana/Latina

CJ’s aunt, compassionate to her niece and passionate about Aztec history, native ASL user (CODA or SODA), strong Spanish speaker, fluid code-switching across all three languages

ANA – late 50’s, Latina or Chicana

Mexican immigrant, native Spanish speaker (first language and fully fluent), dope in ASL (knows slang vernacular too), strong comfort level with code-switching across all three languages

TITO (Huitzilopochtli), Any Age, Deaf (or CODA/SODA),

Latine/x or Chicanx, GNC/Non-binary

God of the sun and war, fierce, cute, playful, and sexually fluid, CJ’s first guide.

OH ME (Ometeotl), Any Age, Non-binary/GNC

Deity of Duality, they are all genders, they are Destruction and Creation, alluring, funny, and knows how to talk to a teenager, strong fluency with Spanish and mad code-switching skills

MARI- late 30s-40s, Chicana or Latina

CJ’s mom, loves her daughter, trying to face her demons, an unmothered child in a perpetual state of traumatic sensing, no Spanish or ASL required

ARMANDO- 30’s, Deaf, Any race or ethnicity

Yoli’s friend, good sense of humor, loves a good story (also plays L, G’s lover. He knows true love when he sees it)